WordPress

Subscribe

Monthly Archives: April 2007

As it is a European Parliament initiative that has raised the question of bikes on trains, Darlington Cycling Campaign felt it might be useful to observe how travellers in a bike friendly country handle the issue. By chance, one of our members is currently working in Berlin, and sent this photo of a father and his two kids using the city’s S-Bahn.

In fact, all local trains in Berlin have carriages with flip-up seats that allow for bikes, prams and wheelchairs to occupy space. There is a small extra charge for bringing your bike on a train, but as so many people use public transport – and cycle – they typically buy an annual or monthly pass. A monthly pass costs 8 euros for a bike on top of normal fares. Students pay 145 euros for a full annual travel pass that includes a bike pass. All Berlin students are obliged to buy one. Given how little a monthly bike pass costs, and indeed an annual travel pass for students, the network is heavily used, frequent, and always being used by cyclists. As in this picture, there are often too many for the designated spaces, so cyclists use any other available open space on a carriage.

Bikes are expected on local trains – just as they are, interestingly on those Berlin pavements where a cycle path does not exist. Berlin is not the most cycle-friendly city in Germany, but the clear perspective of cyclists and non-cyclists is that cyclists can use their judgement to make joint use of pavements – and trains – safe for everyone. So rather than using restrictive travel laws that make it complicated and, judging by the previous post, impractical to take a bike on a train, here in Berlin it is a natural and easy part of getting around. And travel laws are flexible enough to allow cyclists to use spaces other than so-called “designated” spaces.

This essential trust in cyclists is what I think is badly lacking in the UK, due of course to the fact that so few Brits cycle, and this majority of non-cyclists stereotype cyclists around their chavs-on-bikes obsessions. Whilst the European Parliament debates compulsory designated space, those countries with a pro-cycling perspective are busy making it easier to use non-designated spaces. This picture, for the average thinking Berliner, is a sign of the success of their environmental policies. To the typical Darlington transport commentator, I suspect it is an outrage that should be punished with a £500 fine, skateboarder-style.

Comparing Berlin’s approach to the debate in the UK, and the government’s apparent desire to oppose compulsory space on trains for bikes, wheelchairs etc (could someone point to a website with the UK government’s position – googling failed to come up with anything), it seems there is only one conclusion. The current regime of privatised railways – just as with our beloved privatised buses in Darlington – cannot deliver what is required in the 21st century. They are not fit for purpose. They badly need reforming so that they can actually serve our public transport needs.

All this sounds like very New Labour language. But New Labour seems so wedded to the companies currently delivering our public transport, that they have lost sight of their core ideology – to keep reforming and come up with something new. Is it too much to suggest that New Labour is the new Old Labour? And maybe even vice versa?

Fiona Hall, Lib Dem MEP (Member of the European Parliament) for the North East, is visiting Darlington this Saturday, April 28th, as part of her campaign to make trains more accessible for cyclists and wheelchair users. Darlington Cycling Campaign are supporting the campaign and will be meeting her at the station.

The European Parliament voted for a resolution to require trains to have extra space for bikes, pushchairs, wheelchairs and sports equipment. This is going to the Council of Ministers and the UK Government have said that they will fight against the proposals in the transport ministers’ meeting. The story so far is on Fiona’s website:

Campaign members use the train on a daily basis, using bikes at either end of the journey:

I find my journey to York quite easy by bike and train and it is a lot quicker than driving. I think there is potential for a lot more cycle/train commuters in Darlington.

I use the train quite regularly for work and it often makes sense to take my bike. I have done this on several occassions from Darlington to Newcastle,Durham, York and Middlesbrough.

So, bikes and trains can live happily together. Or, can they?

Booking a bike on a train is very difficult and time consuming, so I have a bike at both ends (bike 2 lives on York Station).

The main problem that I face is the insistence that I make a reservation for my bike. This is a problem because, if I’m attending meetings, I don’t necessarily know what time they will finish. I have missed trains where I’ve made a reservation or faced a long wait for my train if the meeting finished early.

More space on trains is clearly needed, both for bikes and wheelchairs/scooters.

(we regularly use the train with our kids and it only takes a couple of families doing the same and the lobbies are stuffed full of pushchairs.)

From today, Julie, 43, and Alasdair Ross, 44, from Darlington, and their two children are to rely on bicycles for transport. Mrs Ross said the challenge was laid down at her Weight Watchers class after she reached her target weight.

To help Mr and Mrs Ross and Stephanie, 14, and Hannah, 11, with the task, Halfords have given each of them a bike.

Mrs Ross said: “The hardest bit is going to be for my husband, who has to travel quite far to see clients for his business. He’s allowed to ride a bike to the station and catch a train and then ride it at the other end. I work for the business at home, but I do quite a lot of voluntary work with the Brownies and the church, and travel to that. It’s not totally feasible that we can carry on without the cars afterwards, but, hopefully, we’ll get quite fit and cut down how much we use them in future.”

Halfords also gave the family a collection of accessories to assist in carrying out their day-to-day chores, including cycle locks, a selection of panniers and backpacks, reflective waistcoats and baskets.

My own family gave up our car 9 days ago and we’ve not missed it so far. We hardly used our car, and resented spending money on car tax, insurance, servicing, MOT, etc, so we sold it. We’re viewing it as a one year experiment, initially, but we’ll see how it goes.

We’re using internet shopping for our groceries, buy meat from a local butcher and have just signed up for an organic veg box delivery.

Our two kids are a lot younger than the Ross’, so we’ve bought a bike trailer. Buses, trains, bikes and walking get us about. We’ve booked a hire car for our main summer holiday.

If the Ross family would like any advice or support, I would be happy to offer it. If anyone knows them, can you pass on this blog address?

Update: I just realised that we’ve not been given free bikes by Halfords! How does that work? Can we have some? 😉

Contact Details

PLEASE NOTE
We are a voluntary organisation. Our phone may be on silent when our volunteer is at his/her day job. Sending an email is usually quicker.

Email:
cool(at)darlovelo.orgPhone:
07519741734

Darlovelo on Twitter

Blog Archives

Facebook

Are you passionate about children’s right to play out in the streets where they live? Would you like to get more involved and change things for children? Would you like to be part of the growing movement and meet other street play enthusiasts?

The 6th annual Playing Out Activator Day is in Birmingham on 30th March. We have been contacted by a Darlington resident who is going and is happy to offer a lift to the event.

This temporary cycleway in Utrecht is better than any permanent infrastructure in #Darlington, a cycle demonstration town.Cycling in Utrecht accounts for up to 33% of all trips [2014] whereas is Darlington, cycling accounts for < 3% [2017]

BicycleDutchThis morning I went back to the (future) largest bicycle parking in the world to see how the new temporary access path works in rush hour. Utrecht, Netherlands. See for yourself: ... See MoreSee Less